KELINGKING BEACH NUSA PENIDA – The Complete Guide

The most famous beach of Nusa Penida, probably even of Bali! Kelingking Beach is the iconic T Rex shaped headland which is a truly unique sight. If you’re going to Nusa Penida and haven’t been to Kelingking beach, even if it’s only the viewpoint, you haven’t been to Nusa Penida! Kelingking Beach is one of the most iconic and recognisable tourist attractions of the Nusa islands. And there’s a good reason for that because the views are just breathtaking. It almost looks like the head remains of T-Rex have been turned into stone here. You can either marvel at the views of Kelingking Beach and the headland from the different viewpoints, or hike down to the beach which is quite exhausting but worth it! Read in this complete guide everything you need to know about Kelingking Beach Nusa Penida. 

Best Nusa Penida tours

If you want to explore Nusa Penida during a one, two or three day trip, then it is highly recommended to book your tour in advance. Because of Bali’s popularity and in particular Nusa Penida, it is highly recommended to book your tours in advance as it is likely that tours sell out. So don’t wait with booking until you get to Bali. Choose your favorite tours here and secure your booking! All of these tours include air conditioned transport with hotel pick up and drop off, certified guides and fastboat tickets. You can reserve now and pay later, with cancellation up to 24 hours in advance to receive a full refund.

• Nusa Penida one day tour. See all the highlights of Nusa Penida during this epic day tour. Start your day snorkeling with Manta Rays, then go to Crystal Bay, look out over Kelingking beach, visit Atuh and Diamond beach and take pictures at Thousand island viewpoint and the famous treehouse.
• Nusa Penida two day tour. During this 2 day tour you will see almost everything on Nusa Penida. You will snorkel with Manta Rays, see all the best viewpoints and swim in the most clearest waters at the beaches of Nusa Penida.
• Nusa Penida three day tour. This three day tour shows you everything of Nusa Penida underwater and on land. You will snorkel at a few locations and see the best viewpoints, beaches, waterfalls and photo spots of Nusa Penida.
• 2-Day Nusa Penida & Lembongan complete tour. This 2 day tour is perfect if you want to combine the best of both islands, Lembongan and Penida. All your transport, 1 night stay in a beachfront hotel and all activities and entrance fees are included.
• West Nusa Penida day tour & Snorkel with Manta Rays. Explore the west coast of Nusa Penida including Kelingking Beach, Angel’s Billabong and Broken Beach. Besides that you will snorkel with Manta Rays at Manta Point.
• East Nusa Penida day tour.  Explore the Instagram hotspots of Nusa Penida along the east coast. Visit the famous Kelingking viewpoint, Diamont beach lookout, the famous tree house, Thousand Island viewpoint and Atuh beach.
• Snorkel with Manta Rays tour. If you only want to go snorkeling with Manta Rays in Nusa Penida, then you can book this tour which includes 3 snorkeling sessions at Nusa Lembongan and Penida, Mangrove tour by kayak, stand-up paddleboard or private gondola and pick up and drop off.
• Find here more Nusa Penida tours.

How to get to Kelingking Beach Nusa Penida

You can either get to Kelingking Beach by scooter or book a private driver for one of the Nusa Penida day tours. By scooter you have way more flexibility and an adventurous feeling of exploring the island. But if you prefer and air conditioned car and are not comfortable driving a scooter, then the best option if to book a day trip for example and see all the highlights Nusa Penida Island Bali has to offer. 

The road towards Kelingking Beach is paved and easy to find. There is plenty of parking spots available and a small parking fee is asked.  

Entrance fee Kelingking Beach Nusa Penida

There is no entrance fee for Kelingking Beach, but a parking fee of 5000 IDR per vehicle must be paid upon arrival. 

About Kelingking Cliff and Kelingking Beach 

The fun thing is that Kelingking Cliff and the beach were discovered by foreigners in 2003. The tourists from the Czech Republic and Australia went diving before and then saw the interesting shape of the headland that looked like a dinosaur. When exploring from the cliffs, the area was still surrounded by bush. But once they got to the end of the cliff they saw this incredible view with the turquoise water and lush green cliff that looked like a T Rex head. Thanks to instagram Kelingking Beach became very famous and is now considered to be the most popular tourist attraction on Nusa Penida. 

Kelingking Cliff is about 150 meters high and Kelingking Beach is about 80 meters wide. You can hike down to the beach but it will take some effort. On a lucky day you might even be able to spot manta rays swimming in the crystal clear turquoise waters. 

Best time to get to Kelingking Beach Nusa Penida 

Depending on what your schedule is, there are different ‘best times to visit’. It completely depends if you’re planning on spending the day at Kelingking Beach, so then you have to hike down. Or that you only want to visit the viewpoint and then continue. 

If you’re planning on hiking down Kelingking Cliff, you can better do this early in the morning. During midday or later in the afternoon the sun is shining directly on the cliff and stairs, and there is no natural shade along the way down. For a quick visit and photo snap at the viewpoint you can come at any time of the day. Just keep in mind that this is a very popular spot and you can sometimes even expect a queue of people for taking selfies. So if you want to beat the crowds, then come as early as possible. 

Another option is to come before sunset to Kelingking cliff. You can then expect the viewpoint to be less busy. And temperatures are also much more bearable than during the day. If you’re lucky, you might be in for a show with a beautiful colourful sky. 

Kelingking during the different seasons 

As with every season nature changes, the same goes for the vegetation on Kelingking Cliff. You can expect the trees and bushes on Kelingking Cliff to be much more lush green in and after rainy season than during and after dry season. We went two times to Kelingking, once in August and once in March. We saw a huge difference in terms of greens. August is the end of the dry season and many foliage has turned brown due to the lack of rain and lots of sunshine. While in March all the vegetation was so bright green. In contrast with the turquoise water and white sand beach this was truly a magical view. 

What to expect at Kelingking Beach Nusa Penida

If it’s your first time at Kelingking Cliff, you will be blown away by the natural beauty. You might have seen this place many times on pictures, but to see the height of the cliff and beautiful waters below you in real life is something impressive. 

There are several spots to go to, depending on if you want to hike down the cliff to the beach, or just want to admire the view from the cliff point. Let’s discuss the different options on what to do at Kelingking below per subject. 

Kelingking Beach hike 

Planning on spending some hours at Kelingking Beach? Then you have to do the strenuous hike down the 150 meters high cliff. Although the stairs of Kelingking have been improved a lot since 2019, the hike is still demanding and will be sweaty. Especially on the way back up it will feel as if it’s a straight incline upwards. Make sure to wear sturdy shoes and have enough water with you to stay hydrated. It is intense and you will feel your legs the next day. But the reward is huge. Kelingking Beach feels like a beach from a movie, almost unreal! Flanked by the towering green limestone cliffs and with the powerful, tropical turquoise ocean you will feel like a tiny little human. 

Kelingking Beach 

Once you’ve made it down on the beach you’ll be stunned by the descent you just did along the cliff. The enormous limestone cliffs that surround the beach are impressive and will make you feel very small. Although it is tempting to jump right into the ocean after the sweaty hike, the waves at Kelingking Beach can be deceptively strong. Tourists have been drowned before at Kelingking Beach while swimming because they got surprised by the current and height of the waves. 

The waves at Kelingking beach can be monstrous big

But luckily there are some caves down at Kelingking Beach where you can relax in the shade. This is a great spot to lay down your towel and to enjoy the incredible views for some time before making your way back up the cliff. 

Viewpoints on Kelingking T Rex 

If you’re not feeling like going down to the beach then there are enough viewpoints on Kelingking T Rex headland. Of course the most famous view is where the stairs begin to the hike down the beach. This is the place where most people will gather for the famous selfie.

But another, way more quiet viewpoint on Kelingking T Rex is about 10 minutes walking from the main spot where the stairs begin. Head up via the stairs along the cliff where you will pass some abandoned shacks. Then the cement stairs will end and you’ll enter a grassy area. Continue to walk parallel to the cliff until you get to an open area where you can see the Dinosaur head from a side view. This is a great spot to fly the drone from as you have a good overview and don’t bother other people. You can eventually bring a rug and picnic here while watching the sunset. 

Sunset at Kelingking cliff 

If you’re staying for a few days on Nusa Penida, or you’re planning to spend half a day at Kelingking, then watching the sunset from either the beach or Kelingking Cliff secret point is a must. If you’re lucky the sky can turn into orange, purple, red colours which will be a beautiful show. You can eventually plan to spend the afternoon on the beach and then make your way back up the cliff an hour before sunset. Then you can relax after the hike back up and enjoy the views from the cliff.

More Nusa Penida travel inspiration

I hope you enjoyed this complete guide about Kelingking beach Nusa Penida. Make sure to put this famous spot on your Nusa Penida itinerary.

For more Nusa Penida travel guides, read our other travel blogs for many more tips.

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Broken beach Nusa Penida

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Teletubbie Hills Nusa Penida

Crystal Bay Nusa Penida

For more Bali travel inspiration, head over to our other guides about Indonesia here